The University at Albany will be the lead school for a $2.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) with the goal of increasing underrepresented minority students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
The five-year grant will support the SUNY Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (SUNY LSAMP) program, a collaboration among 15 SUNY schools working to diversify STEM. The grant will be spent to give schools funding for student support and mentorship services.
“It has been a great pleasure to work with colleagues across SUNY who are dedicated to supporting historically underrepresented students, and we are excited to have the opportunity to lead the SUNY LSAMP Alliance through this next round of funding,” said Shanise Kent, UAlbany assistant dean of graduate education and new program director. “Our previous funding focused on best practices to prepare LSAMP students for their next steps, whether that be graduate school or the workforce. Under this new grant, we will expand that work, and in collaboration with industry partners, explore best practices in creating inclusive and equitable workplaces.”
The other schools include Binghamton University, University at Buffalo, Stony Brook University, Buffalo State College, College at New Paltz, College at Old Westbury, Hudson Valley Community College, Rockland Community College, and SUNY System Administration.
Industry partners, such as GlobalFoundries, Regeneron, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Feinstein Institutes of Medical Research have pledged support for the project.